


fake it 'til you make it

by fabulousfairytales



Series: schmico AU ville [9]
Category: Grey's Anatomy
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Fake Marriage, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-30
Updated: 2019-03-30
Packaged: 2019-12-27 01:14:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,868
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18293849
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fabulousfairytales/pseuds/fabulousfairytales
Summary: To get funding for school, Nico and Levi who have been best friends since Levi's first semester of college, decide to get married. What could go wrong? It's not like they have feelings or anything for each other.





	fake it 'til you make it

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! Guess what? I joined the Schmico Fic Exchange! And this is my baby! Thank you so much to [schmittlevi](http://schmittlevi.tumblr.com/) and [schmicoismysunsword](http://schmicoismysunsword.tumblr.com/)for betaing!!

**Can you marry me?**

**I just got back from school and they said they cannot give me any aid except for unsubsidized loans unless I have a child, get married or turn 24, so I have to get married.**

_ yeah ok I’ll marry you I need a better fafsa application too _

**Wait.**

**Seriously?**

**Would you really do it?**

**I’m actually doing research on it**

_ great yes do it I’m still stuck at work _

**Are we doing this? It would have to happen like lightning fast cause the next semester happens pretty damn soon**

_ I don’t know how fast this happens lemme check _

_ uhmm okay so we’d need to get a marriage license which can be up to $30 depending on where we get it, and THEN we need to file for a marriage certificate. I’m an ordained minister but idk if I could file my own marriage certificate _

**Wait a second, you’re a WHAT now??**

_ yeah I’m an ordained minister. it was for my brother’s wedding. oh, but you know what? he can just get ordained and do it _

**omg yes. I’m so excited. It’s possible that i can get fafsa to pay for an entire apartment for me to go to school in Seattle.**

_ DUDE WHAT _

**Yes, I know!!**

**Btw, what about the divorce? I’ve heard that if one partner commits adultery, that’s grounds for a quicker divorce.**

_ yeah! this sample form I’m looking at says ‘irretrievable breakdown’ of marriage. worse comes to worst we can just stage a fight, but I think we can just say yeah it’s not working out _

**Oh God.**

_ what _

**‘The costs of a divorce can be ranging from $15,000 to $30,000. Most of this money is spent on legal fees.’**

_ so fuck lawyers. we don’t need a lawyer. we don’t have kids and we don’t have property to divide up. _

**Oh, that’s only for a lawyer.**

_ we don’t have alimony to negotiate. we’re just two guys being dudes getting a divorce nbd _

Levi exhaled. He put his phone aside and stared at the ceiling, his arms spread out on his bed. He felt like a starfish. Although, how does a starfish feel? Also, he was getting married to his best friend. Which sounded weird, now that he was thinking about it some more. But it also made sense. It was Nico. 

Nico was his best friend. He has been for 3 years now since they met on Levi’s first day on campus. Specifically, in the library. 

Levi being his overeager self brought him there, because he just wanted to look at all those impressive and majestic books. As he was entering the library he noticed a tall guy sort books into the shelves. He looked like he worked here, and Levi instantly thought that this was such a cool job. He should ask him if there are any open positions left.

But there was one problem. How was he supposed to talk to this guy? Levi was what you could only describe as a nerd. He loved math and Dungeons and Dragons, his glasses were way too big and he was painfully shy around people he didn’t know. 

However, this was college. And he had promised himself that he would try being less shy and talk to people. So, although everything in him screamed to just admire the books in silence and from afar, he made his way down the few steps over to the shelf that this really handsome guy was standing in front of.

For a moment, he was just standing next to him, admiring the swift movements with which he put the books back to their right places. That was, until he turned around and jumped when he noticed Levi.

“Jesus, you scared me!” He whispered as his hand was searching for his heartbeat on his chest.

“Oh, I – I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to,” Levi quickly apologized, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

“It’s okay. I’ve been almost falling asleep while standing, so thanks for waking me up, I guess. Oh, by the way I’m Nico,” the man introduced himself with a small smile.

“Uh – Levi. I’m Levi,” he replied, his eyes avoiding Nico’s. He was so tall and handsome and Levi was just... small and shy.

“Nice to meet you Levi. Are you looking for something in particular?” Nico asked, still picking up books from the basket and putting them into the shelf.

“Oh, uhm. I was just wondering. If-if you were still looking for people. To do... I don’t know. Anything. I really need a job and I kinda always wanted to work in a library at one point.” Levi hoped that it didn’t sound as pathetic as he imagined it to sound. Nico just chuckled softly.

“I can ask my boss, but we pretty much always need people here, so if you want, I could ask her later and then text you. Here, put in your number.” He pulled out his phone from the pocket of his jeans and handed it over to Levi.

The younger man stared at him for a moment, then at the phone. He quickly tapped the screen, so it wouldn’t turn off and then, after a moment of consideration, put in his number.

“You’re the first person here that is nice to me,” Levi mumbled lost in thought while tapping the screen. “Sorry, that was probably weird. I – I’m not the best with people, uh –“

“No, don’t worry,” Nico just countered with a smile as he took his phone and put it back into his pocket. “If you’re looking to meet some people, you should check out some of the parties. Especially the ones organized by my frat,” he added proudly.

“Oh, I’m not really the frat boy kind of person, but thanks,” Levi quickly said. He has always been the one who was made fun of in middle and high school. Hell, even in elementary school some of the kids have made fun of him for needing glasses. He didn’t want to go through the same damn thing in college and med school.

“How do you know?” Nico asked, not looking away from the books in front of them. He needed to put them away within the next hour or he’d have to stay longer.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean how do you know you’re not the type to be in a frat?”

“I just… know?”

“But do you? Listen dude, I don’t wanna talk you into something you’re not interested, but this is college. This is your first day here. How do you know you don’t like something if you didn’t even try it first?”

Levi frowned. Nico was right. He didn’t know if he was the type for a frat. He didn’t know if maybe he would be good at some kind of sport like basketball. Actually, no, he did know that he sucked at basketball. But the point still stood. 

“Huh. Maybe you’re right,” Levi muttered, lost in thought.

Nico chuckled. “Of course I’m right. So, we are throwing a big welcoming party on Friday and I think you should really come and see for yourself. And if you want and get along with the others, you could join us.”

“Join? Oh, but what about… you know. Initiation rituals, hazing, stuff like that,” Levi mumbled. He probably sounded like an overly afraid person, but he really didn’t want to drink so much alcohol that he’ll pass out or swim in ice-cold water at night until his body is too tired to keep him afloat so that he’ll eventually drown.

Hearing the last part, Nico turned around to look at him. “Oh no, we’re not about that shit. But also, let’s don’t get ahead of ourselves. Come to the party on Friday and then we’ll see,” Nico said with a smile.

“Okay. Yeah. That sounds great.”

“Cool. Then I’ll see you there.” Nico grinned happily before turning his attention back to the books in front of him. 

Levi nodded and gave him an awkward wave. “Uhm, yeah. See you there.”

In the end, Levi was right. The guys were nice, but they were also party animals and Levi definitely wasn’t. So, for the past 20 minutes he had been sitting on a couch between two couples making out with a lukewarm beer in his one hand and his phone in the other. He has never felt this awkward and out of place before. Not even when Tommy Anderson drunkenly had his tongue all over Levi’s glasses instead of finding his mouth. 

And to top it all off, he hadn’t seen Nico even once. He was the one who invited him and now he wasn’t even here himself? But maybe he was and they just haven’t seen each other. Which was why he still sat here in between these couples. Awkward and uncomfortable. 

He took another sip of his warm beer and grimaced. This stuff was disgusting, and he didn’t know how people liked it. Trying to take his mind off the nasty taste, he checked the messages on his phone and noticed that his mom had sent him a picture of his lovebirds cuddling in their cage. Levi meant to take them with him, but the last time he’s been home, his car has already been loaded fully and he also wasn’t sure if his dorm even allowed pets. He’d have to take a closer look at the contract. Totally engrossed in writing a response to his mother, he didn’t even notice the two couples leaving and another person sitting down right next to him.

At least not until he felt the piercing stare on him. Frowning, he turned his head to the side and almost jumped a little when he recognized the person.

“Nico,” he yelped surprised.

“You’re here,” Nico gave him a tired smile as he lifted the cup in his hand to take a big gulp of his vodka soda. He grimaced a little, the soda was way too sugary for his liking.

“They only had pisswarm beer since the fridge broke down this morning,” Nico explained. Levi nodded as he put down his cup on the coffee table in front of them.

“You know, I was thinking of leaving but I thought I’d stay to at least say hello.” Levi wanted to drink something. This whole thing felt awkward. Maybe he should just go-

“I’m sorry, I had a really shitty night. I wanted to welcome you, but uh…” He looked around. There were people everywhere and Nico didn’t want to discuss the disaster that was this evening with everybody eavesdropping.

“I can tell that you don’t feel comfortable here, so wanna go somewhere else and maybe grab something to eat? I’m starving,” Nico suggested, hoping Levi would join him. To his surprise, Levi nodded and gave him a soft smile. 

20 minutes later they found themselves sitting in a booth at the nearby diner with two strawberry milkshakes, a huge portion curly fries and two beautiful cheeseburgers.

“This is the best place around campus. They’re open 24/7, their prices are really good and every single item on the menu tastes great. I used to despise onion rings, but the ones they serve here changed my whole life,” Nico gushed. Levi just listened to him. He had a really nice voice. It was low and smooth and he could listen to him forever. Even if he was just talking about onion rings.

He nodded in agreement. “The curly fries are incredible,” he added before silence fell between them. Surprisingly, it didn’t feel weird or awkward. It was… okay. It felt peaceful.

As they were munching on their fries, Nico kinda zoned out and was staring at Levi’s milkshake. He didn’t even hear that Levi was talking to him until he noticed him waving in front of his face.

“Oh God, I’m sorry, I zoned out,” he mumbled embarrassed, his cheeks flushing a little bit.

“Okay, what happened? You said that you had a shitty night?” Levi asked concerned.

Nico sighed before he took a sip from his milkshake.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to pry. You don’t have to –“

“No. No it’s – it’s okay. It’s just…” He took a deep breath. “I broke up with my boyfriend 2 months ago, because he was just a jackass and it took me an embarrassingly long time to notice. And he just showed up at the party. I tried to get rid of him, but he demanded that I kiss him and then he’ll leave without disrupting the party any further.” Nico sighed.

“And did you do it?”

“No. Which is why it took me this long to find you. I didn’t want him to see you.”

“Why?”

“Because he’s also very jealous and I didn’t want him to attack you or something,”

Levi frowned. “Attack me?”

“He would do that.”

“But why me? I mean I’m just some guy that you happen to talk to.”

“You mean that you’re a very cute guy that is totally my type,” Nico chuckled as Levi’s eyes grew wide in surprise.

“I am?” 

“Oh yeah, totally,” Nico grinned, shoveling more fries into his mouth to prevent him from talking.

They spent a few more hours at the diner just talking and laughing about everything and anything until Nico accompanied Levi on his way back to his dorm. The two said their goodbyes and Levi went inside, going straight to bed to dream of the past few hours.

As the months went by, the two college students grew incredibly close incredibly fast. Especially since Levi got the job in the library which got them even more time to hang out together.

That night, however, was a special night. The two had volunteered to do the inventory of the science wing, earning a couple of extra bucks. It also meant that they would spend the night together in here. Spending the night in a library has always been a dream of Levi. And Nico knew that. Which is why he put their names on top of that list as soon as he heard about it, before even telling Levi about it. When he had told him, Levi’ excited squeal made his heart so light that all he could do was to grin stupidly.

“I still can’t believe we actually got the science section! I love the connections you get through your frat,” Levi giggled as he put back the stack in his hand into the shelf in front of him.

“Oh, I know you do,” Nico chuckled as he gave him a book that belonged on Levi’s shelf. 

They both continued to put the books back their right places until Nico heard a familiar voice curse, followed by stumbling and a loud yell. Alerted, he looked up from his stack and saw Levi on the ground, several books scattered around him and the bookshelf next to him wavering dangerously. Without even thinking twice, Nico let the books in his arm fall to the ground as he sprinted over to throw himself on top of Levi’s body to protect him from the falling shelf. However, the shelf didn’t fall. It never fell. Instead, the wavering stopped and both of them sighed a breath of relief.

The moment Nico checked on Levi to see if he was okay, he was met with a big-ass grin. Closing his eyes to prepare himself for the incoming teasing, he took a deep breath before opening them again. To his surprise, he felt Levi’s hand on his cheek, the grin has faded into a softer smile. 

“My savior,” he purred as he gently caressed Nico’s cheek with his thumb. His skin was soft. So much softer than his own. It’s probably from all these products he used. A few months ago, when he was over at Nico’s place for the first time to watch some movies, he saw them on his bathroom shelf. He was intrigued and kinda wanted to ask him about it, but he didn’t want to seem like he was lurking through his stuff, so he didn’t. However, when they were brushing their teeth to go to bed, Nico noticed his curious glance and explained what all those products were for and in which order to use them. And that was how Levi started using moisturizer and sunscreen.  

Nico returned the smile. He was leaning on his arms as he had tried to shelter Levi from the impending falling bookshelf that fortunately for them, didn’t fall. Staring into Levi’s eyes, he leaned onto one arm to adjust his glasses with his free hand and then grinned.

“Thanks,” Levi whispered. Nico was so close to him, he could feel his warm breath on his cheek. He always loved looking into his eyes. They were dark and beautiful and in the beginning they were mysterious and made him nervous, but now he already knew them, and they calmed him down whenever he looked at them. 

“Maybe we should continue going through the books,” Nico mumbled after a while, more reminding himself than Levi.

“Oh.” The man under him gasped as he nodded in agreement. 

“You’re right.”

“Of course I am.” They both chuckled.

After finishing two thirds of the books within 3 hours, they decided to take a break in the skyroom. The skyroom was part of the astronomy section which was also part of the science room and got its name, because inside was a projector that could throw any night sky onto the walls and ceiling. Last time they were in here, Levi explained Nico the constellations that would appear in the summer and today he wanted to show him the winter constellations.

Knowing that they might take a nap, they had brought some pillows and blankets with them and already arranged them in there before they started the inventory. As Levi turned on the projector, looking for the right sky to select, Nico had already made himself feel at home by taking off his shoes and throwing himself into the blankets. He smiled when he heard the familiar rattling of the projector, followed by a few shuffled footsteps. 

“Be careful,” he warned, “It’s really dark in here and I don’t know if I can save you again,” he added with a chuckle.

“Shut up,” he heard Levi laugh right next to him.

“Never.”

Usually when they were in here, they weren’t alone. Levi already had a reputation of teaching people about star constellations and the myths behind them. The first time they were in here was right after Levi got the job at the library. Nico had volunteered to give him a tour around all the different wings and special rooms and when they entered the skyroom, he had noticed his friend’s eyes lighting up. Excitedly, he had told him the story about the different myths regarding Orion’s three brightest stars and the story of the Bull of Heaven’. 

Nico smiled fondly as he remembered that day. He was so sunken into his memories, that he hadn’t even realized that Levi was leaning his head against his shoulder. But now that he noticed it, it felt good. Like really good. And Nico didn’t want him to ever move away from this position.

Carefully, he moved his arm. When Levi was about to say something, he took his hand and wordlessly intertwined their fingers. Both of them grinned when Levi rolled onto his side and loosely wrapped his other arm around Nico’s waist, resting his head on Nico’s chest. 

For a few minutes neither of them said a word as not to disturb this moment. But after a while, Nico looked away from the stars to face Levi.

“Wanna go back to the books?” He asked quietly.

“We still got the whole night and we don’t have much left to do.”

“Yeah, but if we finish now, we can spend the rest of the night in here,” Nico purred as his hand trailed down Levi’s chest to rest on his hip.

“Hmmm, that sounds really tempting.”

“It does, doesn’t it?” 

After finally getting Levi out of the skyroom, they spent another two hours counting, listing and re-shelving books. Thankfully, Levi didn’t trip again, and Nico didn’t have to save him again. However, he did help him with his section after he had finished his own. Levi was sure that Nico just had a smaller section than him. It was totally not because Nico was quicker than him. No. He was sure.

They finished putting books into the shelves at around 9 pm. They could have easily just gotten home by then, but instead they snuck back into the skyroom. When else would they have the chance to be in here all by themselves? This was definitely something neither of them would pass up on.

As they were snuggling up together between their blankets, Levi rested his head on Nico’s chest again, looking at the night sky that would appear in November.

“So, aren’t you gonna tell me about the stars tonight?” He asked quietly.

“Of course I am,” the other man replied with a huge smile.

With his head still on Nico’s chest, but turning to lay on his back, Levi pointed at different stars and constellations, telling him about the myths of Perseus and Cassiopeia. Nico was listening, but he wasn’t quite paying attention to what Levi was pointing at. No, his focus was rather on Levi himself and this adorable excitement that was in his eyes every time he spoke about anything related to the cosmos. His eyes would light up, just like the stars he was talking about and his lips would carry this very faint smile. One wouldn’t even notice it, but Nico did. Nico noticed a lot of things about Levi that other people wouldn’t. 

While he was still glancing at his friend, he didn’t even notice his hand moving up and down Levi’s hip. Only when his friend’s shirt had ridden up a bit and he was touching his warm skin, both jumped a little, mouths agape while staring into each other’s widened eyes.

Nico was the first to move and slowly slipped his hand entirely under Levi’s shirt, feeling the warm skin under his hand as his other hand wandered to Levi’s cheek, carefully pulling him closer until they finally met in a stormy kiss. Both of them opened their mouths hungrily to let the other in, wrapping their arms tightly around another and touching the skin under their clothes. Needy moans filled the small room as Levi grabbed the hem of the sweatshirt to pull it over Nico’s head.

Nico did the same thing with Levi’s shirt and let his mouth wander to Levi’s neck. As he peppered it with kisses while gently sucking at the delicate skin of it, he enjoyed hearing the sound of Levi’s whimpering, encouraging him to keep doing exactly what he was doing right now. He felt Levi’s hand run through his hair, lightly pulling it and couldn’t hide his own moan escaping from his mouth.

Levi grinned as they turned around on the blanket until Nico was on top of him. The weight of Nico’s body on his was a feeling he didn’t know he would enjoy, but he did. And it was hot.

Leaving behind a trail of kisses, Nico moved further down Levi’s chest and stomach until he reached the hem of his pants. Giving him a questioning look as he was about to open the button, Levi gave him permission through a soft nod and Nico continued.

“But I wanna kiss you,” Levi whispered as his hand searched Nico’s, which he took and squeezed gently when he found it.

“Anything you want, baby,” Nico breathed before pressing his lips against Levi’s, their tongues quickly swirling around each other. Levi ran his hands over Nico’s back, until he reached his ass which he lightly squeezed and pushed down so their groins were now grinding against each other, causing them both to moan breathily into each other’s mouth.

“Levi – Baby,” Nico groaned as he fiddled with the zipper of Levi’s pants, pushing them down right when he felt Levi’s mouth on his neck, sucking and licking the thin skin, probably leaving dark love marks.   

Levi pushed down Nico’s sweatpants, pushing his hip up against Nico, needing to feel the friction. 

“Nico,” he moaned needy, gripping his hips and pushing them closer against his own.

“Mhh.” Nico nodded as he ran his hands over Levi’s back, pulling him closer, much closer, just as close as humanly possible. He took Levi’s head between his hands and passionately kissed him again as his hands wandered down his body, playing with the hem of Levi’s boxers and eventually pushing them down.

They knew that they couldn’t do anything too crazy, but that didn’t mean that they couldn’t enjoy their time in here, pressing their bodies against each other, feeling the warm skin of the other one and smiling at the feeling of happiness that both of them felt growing in their chests.

Spending the rest of the night kissing and touching and grinding against each other, the room was filled with the sound of their moans, little whimpers and giggling until they fell asleep in each other's arms.

The next morning came quick, way too quick for both of their liking. When Levi woke up, Nico had already been awake for a few minutes and was watching Levi sleep. He looked so calm and peaceful.

“You’re staring,” Levi mumbled without even opening his eyes. Nico always did that. Even when they were just hanging out at Nico’s place and he fell asleep there, he would always wake up to Nico staring at him. 

“I am.”

Levi opened his eyes and smiled when he saw Nico’s tousled hair.

“That – That was nice,” he whispered.

“Yeah. It was,” Nico agreed and smiled. 

-

“I got the funding!” Levi exclaimed excited as he closed the door to their shared apartment, the familiar smell of Nico’s homemade ramen floating through the air. With a big grin on his face, he approached the kitchenette where he found Nico cutting some meat into thin strips. He looked up when he heard Levi coming closer and threw him a huge smile.

“Congrats, babe! I got my letter today too, so it seems like we’re swimming in money now, huh?” Nico joked.

Levi chuckled when Nico called him ‘babe’. They kinda adopted the use of the word after their ‘wedding’ just for the funsies, but after a few weeks, it stuck.

“Ohh, so that’s why you’re making your celebratory ramen,” he chuckled as he walked around the counter, washing his hands to help him by cutting the scallions. Neither of them said a word as they just stood next to each other in comfortable silence, cutting ingredients as their hips brushed from time to time. 

Over time, they have gotten used to being closer. Things that would’ve felt weird a few months ago, were completely normal now. And things that felt normal a few months ago, were really weird now.

Like the fact that Nico had troubles falling asleep when Levi wasn’t lying next to him. Normally, he would be the big spoon, wrapping his arm around the shorter man and pulling him close while Levi would put his hand over Nico’s and intertwine their fingers.

This had all started when Levi brought in his stuff. Since they were married now, they had to live together. And since this was a long-term thing, Nico wouldn’t let his best friend sleep on the couch. Besides, they already shared a bed a few times before, so it was no big deal.

When Levi was done cutting the scallions, he quickly rinsed off the knife and put it back into the drawer before he wrapped his arms around Nico’s waist from behind, his head pressed between his shoulder blades. Nico chuckled and Levi could feel his body shaking from it.

“Wow, somebody is need of affection today,” Nico grinned.

“I’m just glad that everything worked out,” he mumbled against the taller man’s back. Nico put down the knife and turned around to wrap an arm around his friend’s shoulders. 

“I’m glad too,” he confessed and carefully tucked a loose curl behind Levi’s ear, smiling softly at him. Levi was so beautiful. Everything about him was. His eyes, his smile, those wild curls. He loved hearing the sound of his voice and the way it would pitch up an octave when he got nervous was just the cutest thing.

Being able to call him his husband was as terrific as is was heart-wrenching. He had to remind himself several times a day that they weren’t actually married to each other. It was just on paper. And just for the funding. And yet, sometimes it felt very real. Too real.

A year passed by and Nico and Levi had been playing husbands for quite a while now, although they hadn’t slept together again. At one point it stopped feeling like they were just pretending and that’s when Levi knew that he had to do something, or he’ll get badly hurt one day.

“So, how was your date,” Nico asked when Levi plopped down next to him onto the couch. 

“Terrible. It was just terrible. This guy – wow. Honestly. He was so goddamn rude. And judgmental. I hate dating. Dating sucks, maybe I should just give up on it and be happy with my husband,” he sighed as leaned his head onto Nico’s shoulder, wrapping one arm around his stomach and closing his eyes.

Nico wrapped his arm around his shoulders and ran his hand through Levi’s curls. If only he knew how badly Nico would jump at the idea of them actually dating each other. After their night together in the skyroom, they never talked about it or kissed again. It’s not like he didn’t wanted to, but literally the next day, both of them got slammed with group projects and essays so they haven’t even seen each other for a full week after that. And since Levi didn’t try to talk to him about it, Nico didn’t either and it kinda got buried.

The first time Levi was talking about dating someone, Nico’s heart dropped to his stomach. He knew that their marriage was just a decoy, but it still hurt hearing it like that and he couldn’t help but feel a little bit relieved every time Levi came home, telling him how bad his dates were. And although he felt bad about thinking like that, he loved it when Levi came home and cuddled up on to his side, complaining about his bad dates. 

“Maybe you should. I’m a great husband,” Nico whispered into his ear, smirking when he noticed the goosebumps on Levi’s arms. 

“Oh, don’t I know it?” Levi murmured as he turned his head to face him, taken aback a little bit when he realized how close Nico actually was as their noses brushed with the faintest amount of contact that he has ever touched anything in his life before. If it wasn’t for Nico’s mutual surprise, he would’ve asked himself if they even touched at all. 

“Do you now?” Nico purred as he wrapped a curl of Levi’s hair around his finger, raising an eyebrow questioningly.

“I – uh. Dammit,” he cursed under his breath. Nico just smirked. He knew exactly how to put him off his stride. This little shit. Instead of saying anything, Levi buried his face into Nico’s chest and smiled. 

God, how he wished that he could kiss him. Just coming home from his late class, curling up into Nico’s lap and kissing him gently while messing up his hair. Yeah, that was the dream. But Nico didn’t feel the same as he did. He never asked him, but since he never said anything after their night in the library, Levi assumed that Nico didn’t feel the way he did. Which is why his flirting hurt sometimes. And why a few months ago, Levi decided to dip his toes into the dating pool to distract himself from the pining over his best friend. 

Which only worked semi-nicely. The dates were terrible, but the following cuddling sessions with Nico made the nights so much better, but also defeated the actual purpose of distracting himself from his husband. His  _ husband _ .  _ His _ husband.

If Nico was hooking up with anyone, Levi didn’t notice, but he doubted that Nico would go this long without hooking up with anyone. Not with his personality and the way he looked. He was glad that he never noticed, but it also made him feel like an idiot since just because Levi never noticed, it didn’t mean that it wasn’t happening. 

They’d been married for a year and a half when Levi met Max. Max was four years older than him. He was tall, only 2 or 3 inches shorter than Nico, had dark brown hair and was very fit. He was nice. Very nice. And he didn’t freak out when Levi told him that he was married. He got it, college was expensive.

Nico didn’t like Max. He was annoying and way too touchy with Levi. For fucks sake, he was still in the same room, could he maybe just chill out a little? He tried his darnest to be cool. For Levi. But that didn’t mean that he couldn’t secretly hate this guy’s guts. And if Levi asked him for his opinion, he would tell him the truth. Because they were friends. Yes. Just because of that. There was no other reason.

“So Nico, Levi told me you’re also in med school? Only one year above him?” Max asked with a smile.

Nico didn’t get why Levi liked him so much. He just didn’t. Sure, he was generally nice and good-looking. But other than that, he was rather plain. Boring. Way too boring for Levi. 

“Yeah. I am,” he just confirmed. Trying to avoid this whole situation for at least 20 seconds, he got up, announcing that he’d get a beer. There was no other way to make this any more comfortable.

“You want one too?” He asked the other two men. Levi shook his head while Max nodded.

“Thanks.”

“Sure thing,” Nico muttered as he walked over to the fridge, not noticing that Levi’s eyes were following him.

Max quietly smirked to himself. Oh, he could clearly see what’s going. He already knew that Levi wasn’t all into their thing, but at least now he got the reason. Spending time with Levi was nice, but after a few dates he knew that it wouldn’t turn in something serious, so he just enjoyed the ride while it lasted.

As Nico came back with two beers in his hand, Max grinned and thanked him after being given one of them. Nico just nodded and sat down next to Levi. No need to get closer than necessary to that guy.

“I get it,” Max noted after Levi had disappeared to the bathroom. Nico looked at him confused.

“What do you mean?” He asked, frowning.

“Never mind,” Max chuckled before Levi entered the room again.

They talked a bit more before Max had to leave to go to his night job at the bar. Levi kissed him goodbye while Nico looked away. It felt weird looking at them kissing. And it hurt.

Levi and Max didn’t see each other for a few days. And the next time they did, it felt weird.

“Everything’s okay?” Levi asked when Max shied a little bit away from him leaning against his shoulder.

“Huh? Yeah. Yeah it’s just – Listen Levi. I like you. A lot. But I am also not blind. I know that you have feelings for him.”

“Him?”

Max raised an eyebrow. “You know who I mean.”

“No, I kinda don’t.”

“Levi, please,” Max sighed tired. In the past few days he had realized something. He liked Levi. He liked him a lot. He thought he was holding onto their thing just for the fun that they were having, but that wasn’t the case. No. He had developed feelings for him. He had missed Levi for the past few days in which they hadn’t seen each other. 

But he also knew that Levi’s heart already belonged to someone else. And he was tired of putting himself through any more drama.

He remembered the night he went out to a bar with Levi and three of his friends and that when Levi left for the restroom, his friends were just smirking at each other while studying him. It had felt a bit weird. Like he was some sort of experiment and they were waiting for him to grow a third eye on his forehead. Which by the way, didn’t happen. And yet they were looking at him like it did. And then the other guy said that Max just reminded them of someone which earned him two elbows in his sides, accompanied by a “Why would you say that to him?’

The moment he saw Nico, he immediately knew that it had to be him.

“Max, I really don’t know what you mean,” Levi replied, still oblivious.

“I mean Nico,” Max said. Still not getting what he meant by that, Levi just stared at him until it clicked.

“Oh no! Nico and I are just friends. I already told you that we’re  just –“

“Yeah you did, but do you actually believe what you are saying?” Max then asked. “Listen, you are cute and nice. But I have eyes. I can see how much you like him. And how much he likes you –“

“He doesn’t like me,” Levi corrected him to which Max just lightly shook his head.

“Sure. He doesn’t,” he snorted, playfully rolling his eyes.

“I’m not angry with you or anything, okay? Sometimes you can be very oblivious and that’s okay. I’m just saying that I can see it. And that maybe you should talk to him, okay?” Max put his hand onto Levi’s shoulder and gave it soft squeeze. 

“I – I’m so sorry. I – really. I’m –“

“Don’t worry about it, okay? I knew what I have gotten myself into from the start.”

“You did?” 

“Sure,” Max chuckled. “I could feel that there was something holding you back. I just didn’t know what – or well, who it was until last week,” he added with a soft smile.

“Oh,” Levi just mumbled as he looked down at his hands. 

“I’m really –“

“Don’t apologize. It’s okay.” Max was still smiling at him as if it wasn’t a big deal. But they have been dating for a few weeks and he’s been so sweet. Levi felt awful. He just nodded before looking up at him again.

“I didn’t want to use you like that –“

Max chuckled low. “You did. But that’s okay. I’m good. We’re good. And you’re a good dude. So if you ever wanna talk about Nico and that weird situation you two are in, hit me up,” he offered with a grin. 

After talking for a few more minutes, Levi got a call from Taryn asking him to come and get her. It ended with him telling her about everything that just happened over one or four glasses of wine and them passing out on her couch.

“So, you stayed over at Max’s last night, huh?” Nico asked a few minutes after Levi came home, trying to sound nonchalant. On the inside, however, his mind was racing. Last night, he couldn’t even get one second of sleep. No, he was anxious the whole time, missing Levi next to him, knowing exactly what he and Max were doing and it broke his heart. How did he let it come so far? He could’ve said something. He should’ve said something.

“Huh?” Levi frowned. He didn’t. However, letting Nico think that he spent the night was a thought that had taken over Levi’s brain, so he didn’t say anything about it.

“Why do you think that?” He asked innocently. After what Max had said, and the tone in Nico’s voice, he couldn’t stop thinking if maybe he was right. It was more hope than anything else, but it was there, and Levi couldn’t just turn it off like a switch. It was an omnipresent thought. He wished he never heard it.

“Well, you weren’t here last night. You… never were not here since we – Anyways,” he put on a smirk, “Did you two finally do it?” He asked. He hated asking. He didn’t want to hear the answer. But he had to act like he didn’t care. Because Levi liked him and he made him happy and as much as it pained him, he just wanted Levi to be happy. Even if it wasn’t with him.

“I don’t know why you need to know if we –“

“Oh come on, dude. Just tell me!”

“No!”

“But why – Ohhh, it was bad, wasn’t it? Is he small? I’m sorry it’s –“

“What the hell, Nico. We didn’t – “

“No way you didn’t.” He was getting annoyed. Why couldn’t he just say that they did it? It would make everything so much easier.

“We broke up, okay?” Levi yelled and gave him a cold glare.

Nico’s eyes widened in surprise. Okay, he couldn’t smile now. Don’t smile. Just don’t.

“Oh. I’m sorry,” he said instead. He was reaching for Levi’s hand but the other man was flinching away. 

“Don’t. I know you didn’t like him. Which I don’t get, because he’s so nice. And he was so nice to –”

“I never said that I didn’t like him.”

“No, but I know you. You don’t.” Levi sighed and turned away from him, walking away from the kitchen counter to plopping down onto the couch, hoping to escape Nico’s stupid prodding. However, a few seconds later he heard footsteps coming closer. He just wanted to hide.

“So you two didn’t sleep with each other?” He heard Nico’s voice and instantly rolled his eyes.

“Jesus, Nico! Why do you care so much?”

“I’m just asking –“

“No, that’s not just asking! As if you don’t sleep with people. I’m okay with you not telling me, because the last time I asked you, it made you uncomfortable for some weird reason. It’s a bit hypocritical that you want me to tell you now if I did it with him,” Levi frowned and shook his head in anger. Who did he think he was? 

“It’s because I didn’t do it with anyone,” Nico simply said as he sat down next to him.

Levi huffed out a laugh in disbelief. “Yeah, sure. As if.”

“Levi, I really didn’t.”

“Oh come on, Nico. Why the fuck would you lie to me about this?”

“What is your problem? I just told you that I didn’t sleep with anybody since we… And you accuse me of lying, because… why? I seriously don’t get it and it’s fucking dumb.” Nico shook his head and turned around to look at him with a look on his face that Levi couldn’t really define.

“Thank you very much for calling me dumb, really.”

“It’s because you are being an idiot today!”

“Me? Who’s the one who was just pressing me about sleeping with Max? For fuck’s sake, Nico. What’s going on with you?”

Nico wanted to throw a witty comeback into his face, but he couldn’t. He just sighed defeated and turned away from him. “You weren’t there,” he whispered.

“What?” Levi frowned confused. “Where?”

“Here. You weren’t here last night and I –“  He had missed him. He had missed falling asleep next to him, hearing his steady breathing and feeling his warmth next to him.

“Nico,” Levi breathed his name softly, placing his hand onto Nico’s shoulder and sighed. 

“I missed you,” He whispered, not daring to turn around, for fear of what he might see in Levi’s face. But then again, it was Levi. He’s been his best friend for years and he would never laugh at him for showing his emotions. At least that’s what Nico hoped for when he slowly turned around. They stared at each other for a few seconds until Levi gently placed his hand onto Nico’s cheek.

“You missed me,” Levi repeated quietly, not too loud as if he would take it back if he said it too loudly.

“Yeah,” Nico confirmed again, not daring to move, too afraid that it would ruin the moment. 

“I slept at Taryn’s last night. She missed her train and needed a ride, so I went and picked her up,” Levi explained. 

“Oh,” Nico just breathed and nodded slightly.

“Yeah. Oh.” Levi repeated and laid down onto the couch, his head in Nico’s lap. The other man was running his fingers through Levi’s curls and both of them smiled softly.

Levi could stay like this forever. With his head in Nico’s lap and his hand in his hair, he just felt so safe and… loved. Yeah, when he was around Nico he always felt at home, no matter if they had a fight or not. He knew that whatever happened, he could always come and crawl up in his lap if he really needed it. God, he loved him so much. He loved him. And… And maybe Max was right. Maybe Nico  _ did _ feel the same. It’s been way too long for this guessing game.

“Nico?” Levi whispered after a while, his hand travelling up Nico’s body until it came to a stop at his cheek with his thumb gently caressing it.

The other man gave him a questioning look. “Yeah?”

“I love you,” he whispered. Just like that. Just like that, he said those three little words that could potentially do so much damage to him, if Nico didn’t feel the same. But at this point, Levi was tired. He was tired of wondering if Nico maybe might feel the same thing for him or not. No. After everything that had just happened, Levi didn’t want to waste another minute.

Nico’s eyes widened, and he could feel his heart speed up when he heard those words. Did he really just? Yeah, he did. Nico was sure of it. He had always dreamt of him saying those words to him, but he had never anticipated for it to actually happen. He couldn’t hide the smile that was spreading across his lips, also evident in his eyes and cheeks, and he didn’t want to either. 

“Y-you – Really?”

“Yes,” Levi chuckled, “Really.”

“Wow,” Nico breathed stunned as he placed his hand over Levi’s on his cheek, intertwining their fingers.

“Yeah.” Levi slowly sat up and slipped into Nico’s lap as he ran his other hand over Nico’s arm to his shoulder. “You need some time to process that?” He asked softly.

“No,” Nico replied quickly. “No, because – because I – I love you too. And I never thought I’d hear those words from you and I’m just –“ He took a deep breath. “I’m happy.”

Levi smiled and moved closer, their noses now almost touching, whispering “I am too,” before closing the remaining gap and pressing their mouths together for the first time in years.

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Thank you SO MUCH for reading! This fic has been my baby for roughly the past 2 months, so comments would be very apprechiated!!
> 
> My tumblr is [orthoglasses](http://orthoglasses.tumblr.com/) and you can come over if you wanna talk or have a prompt!!


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